Overhead conveyor apparatus such as high-speed conveyer rail transportation systems, for transportation of articles, goods, components, etc. are in routine use in many sectors, including food industry. For instance, such systems are used at meat and poultry slaughter-houses and packing plants for transportation of carcasses.
In overhead conveyor apparatus, objects are usually suspended from a carriage or other conveying means at a suspension point, e.g. as defined by a hook or other means for carrying the object. For example, goods (e.g. carcasses) may be suspended on carriages of a conveyer rail. Such a suspended object may thus be regarded as a compound pendulum whose suspension point moves along the conveyer path, e.g. as defined by a conveyor rail.
Usually, no complications arise while the motion of the suspended objects remains uniform and rectilinear. However, inertia forces arise and cause the pendulums to swing in connection with curves/turns of the conveyer path. The resulting oscillations induced by the turn of the conveyer path can be especially amplified during a high speed motion and occur in a plane that is transverse to the direction of motion and can therefore be the cause of a break or a failure, e.g. due to derailing of the carriage, objects being disconnected from the carriage, causing them to fall and/or block the conveyor, etc.
Furthermore, in connection with processing machines that operate on the conveyed objects, the oscillations may cause improper alignment with devices or machines that are to operate on the objects. For example, in the context of poultry processing machines such as an eviscerator, bird washer, etc., the carcasses are typically suspended by their legs from an overhead conveying system. It is often difficult to accurately position and maintain the carcasses in proper alignment with the processing elements such as cutting knives, water nozzles, camera, etc. resulting in imprecise treatment and an inconsistent product. Thus, there is a need for reducing the swinging, turning and revolving of the conveyed objects in an overhead conveyor apparatus.